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Comparative analysis of sexual and agonistic behaviour in eyelid geckos (Eublepharidae)
Rauner, Petr ; Kratochvíl, Lukáš (advisor) ; Frýdlová, Petra (referee)
Sexual selection is one of main selective pressure affecting body size, and subsequently leads to the evolution of sexual size dimorphism (SSD). The eyelid geckoes, family Eublepharidae, are a monophyletic group with considerable variability in SSD, including both male-larger and female-larger species. In general, it was supposed that eyelid geckos are highly variable in presence of male combats and in complexity of male pre-copulatory behaviour, and that this variability in this conspicuous male behaviour may lead to differences in SSD. The aim of this study was to reveal relationships between the direction of SSD and presence/absence of tail vibration during precopulatory phase and male combat behaviour. Using behavioural testing, it was revealed that male combats are present in all tested species, even in species, where the absence of such behaviour was supposed so far. In several species, the strong effect of seasonality to male aggression was observed, which may play a role in the evolution of SSD. The evolutionary changes in the presence/absence of tail vibration during precopulatory phase were independent on changes in the direction of SSD, the presence of tail vibration seems to be ancestral state for these lizards. During the evolution of this group, the tail vibrations disappeared four...
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Comparative analysis of sexual and agonistic behaviour in eyelid geckos (Eublepharidae)
Rauner, Petr ; Kratochvíl, Lukáš (advisor) ; Frýdlová, Petra (referee)
Sexual selection is one of main selective pressure affecting body size, and subsequently leads to the evolution of sexual size dimorphism (SSD). The eyelid geckoes, family Eublepharidae, are a monophyletic group with considerable variability in SSD, including both male-larger and female-larger species. In general, it was supposed that eyelid geckos are highly variable in presence of male combats and in complexity of male pre-copulatory behaviour, and that this variability in this conspicuous male behaviour may lead to differences in SSD. The aim of this study was to reveal relationships between the direction of SSD and presence/absence of tail vibration during precopulatory phase and male combat behaviour. Using behavioural testing, it was revealed that male combats are present in all tested species, even in species, where the absence of such behaviour was supposed so far. In several species, the strong effect of seasonality to male aggression was observed, which may play a role in the evolution of SSD. The evolutionary changes in the presence/absence of tail vibration during precopulatory phase were independent on changes in the direction of SSD, the presence of tail vibration seems to be ancestral state for these lizards. During the evolution of this group, the tail vibrations disappeared four...
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Role of steroid hormones in control of sexually dimorphic traits in eyelid geckos (Eublepharidae)
Tóthová, Lucia ; Kratochvíl, Lukáš (advisor) ; Landová, Eva (referee)
The importance of sex hormones in formation, development and regulation of sexually dimorphic behavior does not need to be stressed. However, their actual organizational and activational effects and interactions in sexual differentiation and determination are not fully understood yet. The aim of our study was to explore the effects of hormonal manipulation in eyelid-geckos (family Eublepharidae) and enlighten the role of steroid hormones in formation of sexual differences. In the first part of our work we tried to reverse sex of Yucatán banded gecko (Coleonyx elegans) by hormonal manipulation in the early embryogenesis. This species has genotypic sex determination with chromosome set X1X2Y. In reverted individuals we aimed to examine the effects of steroid hormones on sexually dimorphic traits and in case of full sexual reversion and fertility of progeny, we would search for the sex-determining gene. In the second part, we studied masculinization effects of testosterone in females of leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius). In contrast with the Coleonyx elegans mentioned above, this species has temperature dependent sex determination, even though these two species are closely related. Experimental females were implanted with testosterone implants and therefore their testosterone levels were increased in...
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